Putin Signs START II Nuclear Accord

MOSCOW —  President-elect Vladimir V. Putin signed the START II treaty Thursday, affirming the Russian parliament’s approval of the plan to trim the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States, the presidential press service said.

The treaty obligates Russia and the U.S. to slash nuclear stockpiles to 3,000 to 3,500 warheads each.

It was approved last month by both chambers of parliament, ending seven years of deadlock.

Putin, who won election in March and formally takes office Sunday, has made nuclear arms reduction a key part of his agenda.

Boris N. Yeltsin, the previous president, failed to get the agreement approved by parliament because of strong opposition from Communists and nationalists.

Putin, however, has warned the United States that he will abandon all arms control agreements if Washington presses ahead with plans for a limited nuclear defense system, or “missile shield.”

Putin asserts that if the U.S. moved to build such a system, it would violate the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty and lead to another major nuclear arms race.

New amendments to START II still must be approved by the U.S. Senate before the treaty takes effect.

But Russia’s approval sets the stage for talks on further arms cuts.